Users of Samsung Galaxy Smartphones Are at High Risk; Government of India Issues Warning

• Image Credit: Google

• Jan 30, 2023 | Dhupali Das

A vulnerability has been reported in the Samsung Galaxy Store app, which might allow a local attacker to instal an unwanted app on your phone...

Digital Desk: Samsung Galaxy smartphones have been dominating the phone segment for quite a while now. Millions of consumers rely on Samsung Galaxy smartphones for their daily conversations. As phones become smarter, they are now used for more than just calls and messaging. Smartphones are now used for banking transactions, photography, online meetings, and other purposes, which means that these devices store some of your most sensitive information. To keep such information secure, the Korean tech behemoth releases security updates for its gadgets and apps on a regular basis. Although Samsung recommends that customers run the most recent version of their programmes for a more secure and feature-rich experience, some users prefer to run older versions of apps for convenience of use; however, it's important to note that older app versions are easier to attack. One such flaw has been found in the Samsung Galaxy Store app, and the Indian government has issued a warning to Samsung Galaxy users.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has revealed that a vulnerability in the Samsung Galaxy Store app has been reported, which might allow a local attacker to instal an unwanted app or execute arbitrary code on the affected phone. The vulnerability will affect Samsung Galaxy smartphone users with Samsung Galaxy Store app version prior to 4.5.49.8.

According to CERT-In, this vulnerability occurs in the Samsung Galaxy Store app owing to a loop in exported activity that does not process incoming intents safely. A local attacker could exploit this flaw by sending a specially crafted request. A successful exploit of this issue could allow a local attacker to instal programmes from the Galaxy App Store on the affected device without the user's knowledge.

An attacker can also exploit the vulnerability if you click on a malicious URL in Google Chrome or use a pre-installed malicious application. A local attacker can circumvent Samsung's URL filter and start a webview to a domain controlled by the attacker.

To avoid any swindling, download and instal the most recent version of the Samsung Galaxy Store app right away.